Effects of lead inclusion bodies on subcellular distribution of lead in rat kidney: the relationship to mitochondrial function.

The effect of Pb pretreatment on the subcellular binding of a tracer dose of 203Pb was studied in kidneys of rats in which intranuclear and cytoplasmic inclusion bodies had been induced by a single ip injection of Pb acetate (50 mg Pb/kg) 6 days earlier. Results of subcellular fractionation studies in rats injected iv with 203Pb 24 hr prior to sacrifice demonstrated that 203Pb activity was about 1.5 times higher in kidney homogenates and mitochondrial fractions of control compared to Pb-pretreated rats. Cytosolic 203Pb activity in control rats was 5 times higher than that in Pb-pretreated rats. In contrast, Pb pretreatment increased the 203Pb binding capacity to the nuclear and inclusion body fractions by 7 and 20 times, respectively, compared with controls. Pb pretreatment decreased total mitochondrial 203Pb binding but resulted in a higher proportion of 203Pb bound to the inner membrane and matrix fractions relative to the controls. After in vitro incubation of control renal mitochondria with 203Pb the binding to inner and outer membranes and matrix fractions increased with increasing concentration of unlabeled lead added to the incubation. Deposits on the inner membrane of isolated mitochondria from Pb-pretreated rats were observed by isotonic ammonium molybdate negative staining and these mitochondria also showed decreased respiratory control ratios (RCRs). Succinate-mediated respiration rates and membrane binding of the fluorescent probe ethidium bromide were not affected by Pb pretreatment. These data indicate that lead influences its own subcellular distribution in the kidney following Pb pretreatment as shown by the increase of nuclear and inclusion body binding and increase of mitochondrial inner membrane and matrix binding of lead. The mitochondrial inner membrane shows a preferential affinity for lead following in vivo treatment which can be correlated with impairment of a specific inner membrane function (depressed RCRs). Lead exposure did not alter the activity of the mitochondrial membranes to undergo energy linked conformational changes.